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Apple Crisp Without Oats

Apple crisp without oats features a cinnamon-spiced apple filling topped with a flour-and-butter sandy crumble that turns uniformly golden and crisp. Bake until the edges bubble, rest briefly, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a comforting sliceable dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
resting 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple filling
  • 6 large apples, peeled and sliced
  • 0.3333333333 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
Flour-based crumble (no oats)
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 0.5 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
Serving
  • 0.5 cup vanilla ice cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Preheat and prepare the dish
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the apples don’t stick.
Make the apple filling
  1. In a mixing bowl, toss apple slices with granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and lemon juice until evenly coated.
  2. Spread the coated apples into the greased baking dish in a single, even layer.
Assemble the flour-based crumble
  1. In another bowl, combine all-purpose flour, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  2. Cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture forms large sandy clumps.
  3. If using, stir in chopped pecans or walnuts, then scatter the crumble evenly over the apples.
Bake
  1. Bake 40-45 minutes at 375F until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest 10 minutes so the filling thickens slightly for cleaner servings.
  2. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

For the crispiest topping, keep the butter cold while you cut it in, and avoid packing the crumble tightly—let the sandy clumps bake up crisp. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the crumble can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat butter (or a baking spread labeled for baking) and consider swapping part of the sugar with a sugar substitute that measures cup-for-cup.